by the fans for the fans

Not all fans are like that. I think it bothers me that someone can say they are such a huge fan, but really lack the knowledge.

That's the difference between "fan" and "student." If you're a fan of something, it just means you like it. If you like it enough to research it, you're also a student.

It's disappointing to see less and less interest in the older series. I wonder if that's because it has become a fad for some or if some fans move onto other interests before they can appreciate more than the newer series. I've heard people specifically say that they won't watch something because it's too old.

I've heard that too, and it's basically just willful ignorance, but really it's their loss. Not ours. As for the fad aspect, that's always been built into the artform. Anime was always intended to be something that entertained you for a while, sold some merchandising, then went away to be replaced by the next thing. Anyone who moves on to other interests is actually following the plan, ironically enough.

Speaking of "the Next Big Thing," I haven't seen any reviews yet of "Fukkatsu Hen." Is it supposed to be any good, or is it Yamato 2520 all over again?

I saw it in Japan on opening day and loved it. You can read my review/synopsis at starblazers.com if you're willing to have the whole thing spoiled in advance. (Otherwise just read the travelogue; both are linked from the home page.)

Tim Eldred wrote:

I saw it in Japan on opening day and loved it. You can read my review/synopsis at starblazers.com if you're willing to have the whole thing spoiled in advance. (Otherwise just read the travelogue; both are linked from the home page.)

Good to hear!

I read the Nishizaki interview, and that had just the right amount of spoilers (some disappointing...no Yuki?). I'd rather keep my "plot-virginity" until I actually SEE it.

I'll definitely check out the travelogue, though.

I don't remember where exactly Star Blazers caught my eye (maybe this thread? Or the live-action Yamato one over MW? I dunno), but I've been thinking of trying out the series for a while now but wasn't really sure how to go about it. Obviously the original Japanese Yamato episodes would have been preferable, but I concluded that it'd be easier to just buy the DVDs and read about the differences afterwards than downloading gigs of episodes. So, after a couple of months of hemming and hawing I finally bought this set from a local store for a few dollars less than the price listed at that link.

I haven't watched any episodes yet, but I'll probably give some thoughts here as a dig into the world of SB/SBY.

Oh, and I have to say that the official Star Blazers website is absolutely fantastic (thanks for linking to it earlier, Gubaba!) and certainly played a part in helping to get me interested in the series. It's got a huge amount of detail and is very open about the history of the series with lots of in-depth coverage on both the original Yamato franchise and the Star Blazers dub. The episode commentaries in particular look to be exactly what I'll want to compare and contrast once I've finished watching.

The recent feature on the Star Blazers fan-produced audio drama in particular was very refreshing following the recent... unpleasentness... Harmony Gold has directed towards Robotech fan projects. Is it any good? Will have to give it a listen once I'm done with the series.

Star Blazers is re-airing on April 21, two episodes every Thursday, on Syfy. Having only seen the first Yamato film, I'm excited to get to see this. It's also nice to see something decent on Syfy. Man, that station has tanked BIG TIME.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

I BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOVIE AND FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT.

HEHEHE

HOW WAS IT?

Oh, sorry, I should have been more specific. I was referring to the first animated feature, not the recent live-action film. I'm pining for a US release on that.

www.syfy.com/schedule/?search=Star+Blazers

I rented the live-action movie last night, and found it good but not spectacular. I think they did a great job of compressing (and updating) the story. I'm not sure I liked the changes to the Gamilas and to Starsha, but it was pretty cool that they got four (FOUR!) of the original voice actors back for various roles.

But yeah...it's pretty much everything you could hope from a Yamato movie, but it doesn't really surpass any of those hopes.

YES YES YES!!!